Neil Gaiman and DC Team for 'Sandman Universe' Comic Book Line

Four comic book series, overseen by the writer and spinning out of his 'Sandman' series, will launch this fall.

DC Entertainment on Thursday announced the return of a piece of comic book history.

Neil Gaiman will curate The Sandman Universe, the umbrella title for four new comic book series spinning out of the mythology Gaiman created for his iconic fantasy series of the 1980s and ‘90s.

Launching in August with a one-off issue titled The Sandman Universe No. 1, plotted by Gaiman, the four titles will take place in a shared universe utilizing characters and concepts originated by the writer including The Dreaming, Tim Hunter and the Books of Magic, as well as the Los Angeles-based retired devil himself, Lucifer.

The four titles will be written by creators hand-picked by Gaiman, with editorial oversight by the executive editor of DC’s Vertigo imprint, Mark Doyle. (Vertigo was created as an imprint at DC in 1993, in part thanks to the success of Gaiman’s first Sandman series.) The announced series are: The Dreaming, written by Si Spurrier; House of Whispers by Nalo Hopkinson; Books of Magic by Kat Howard; and Lucifer by Dan Watters.

“The Sandman Universe has always been very close and personal to me, and I am thrilled to open up the world once again to an extremely talented group of writers and artists,” Gaiman said in a statement. “I get to see the joy in these brilliant people whom I’ve selected, as they get their chance to play in this world.”

DC released a promotional video, below, to accompany the announcement.

Following the Sandman Universe one-shot, the line will begin in earnest in September with the first issues of The Dreaming and House of Whispers, with the debuts of Lucifer and Books of Magic the following month.

More information about the line will be revealed this weekend at the Vertigo panel at Emerald City Comic Con.